Neopolitan Iraq

Three different flavors of national identity, one country. Mmmmm. Tasty.

Not really. Dividing the nation of Iraq (merged into what it was by...you guessed it the lot who have been bollocking up nation construction for over a century now. Who are our flavors...I mean, national identities? For those not in the know (the majority of employees of the US government, almost everyone hired to rebuild Iraq, etc.), we are talking about the Sunni and Shia (the major players/opponents of Islam), and the Kurds. There are actually many other players in our little game- but lets not overtax our brains, hmm?

Now there are some who think breaking the country up is the best way to go. Three new nations. Everyone’s happy. Top Gun's theme music plays. We all high five each other. Roll the credits.

But wait...shoot! It isn't that simple. Beyond the other innumerable troubles this brings, we have one hamdinger. The Kurds. Remember them?

You know the Kurds, well, since they don't get in the news much, as they aren't (to the best of the news corps recollection) Shia or Sunni, they aren't a problem and don't count. Never mind the "fights" to annex cities into the new Kurdistan (Which is not trying to make itself a new state!>) in the north. Never mind that they don't want to raise the Iraqi flag, but one they made for themselves. Never mind...oh, you know.

Many in Iraqi Kurdistan have a dream, to break off, with its oil and US support and become sovereign. To finally make official the nation state that has been denied their people for so long. Not too bad for us. Kurds, overall, are not as fervent in their religion as other groups in the Muslim faith, and we have been able to deal and negotiate with them well (granted we have hosed them when it was convenient). It would be nice if they were the face of the Middle East.

Now the trouble of it all. This would lead to the other Kurds (Yes, they don't only exist in that one place. - Shocking!), in Iran, Syria, and Turkey to get agitated (More agitated, since they are deemed terrorist in places like Turkey.) and then agitate for land of their own, which they believe is their right, to help fully build a proper Kurdistan. And, of course, flush with oil money, a liberated Iraqi Kurdistan can do such a thing. Now it should be pointed out the Kurds in the various nations Armenia to Turkey have been historically, up to this day, treated quite cruelly, populations and cities being wiped out.


But there is another side to this. That it hoses over Iran, Syria, and Turkey (Hey. I thought we liked Turkey. - Not that much. - Oh.)? No, Syria and Iran in no way want this outcome. To have to deal with a better armed Kurdish minority is something they want to avoid. So it is in there interest to help prevent the breakup of Iraq.

I bring this up, because, sadly the Republicans, and it seems also the many of the Democrats, are without a clue when it comes to Iraq. I don't know, do they not study these things, do they not care? But they should realize that these countries do have an interest in stabilizing this country. Because if it goes, they are going to face the aftermath of it. And that could widen instability, and threaten their states. If we aren't even willing to sit down with them and discuss the dangers of this possible outcome...

We are fools.